A 19-year-old man who was under the influence of alcohol when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree off state Highway 500, injuring two of his passengers, was sentenced Thursday to five months on the jail’s work release program.
Skyler P. Scott of Vancouver pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to vehicular assault while driving under the influence in the May 28 crash. His sentence will allow him to work outside in the community and be confined when he’s not working.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Scott was driving a friend’s 2004 Pontiac Vibe east on the highway about 6:40 a.m. when the vehicle left the road, re-entered the highway and then veered off the road again. The Pontiac traveled through private property and struck a tree.
Both of the rear passengers — Sadie Akers and Aaron Donald, both 19 — sustained injuries and were transported to a local hospital. Donald sustained the most serious injuries, which included brain bleeding, the affidavit states.
Scott and a front passenger, a juvenile, ran from the crash scene, court records said.
Clark County sheriff’s deputies and Washington State Patrol troopers found the two about a mile from the crash scene, according to the court document.
Scott initially denied being the driver but later admitted to it. He said he lost control of the vehicle after becoming distracted by passenger activity in the backseat, the affidavit states.
Scott told officers he drank an alcoholic beverage and smoked “a bunch” of marijuana before the crash. A preliminary breath test found Scott had a blood-alcohol level of 0.142, court records show. In Washington, a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 is considered evidence of drunken driving.
On Thursday, Judge John Fairgrieve declined to follow the attorneys’ previously agreed upon sentencing recommendation of four months on work release. Fairgrieve said he decided to add a month to impart on Scott the seriousness of his actions and said he is lucky he didn’t permanently maim or kill his friends.
